CHAPTER SIXTEEN
*
The sun was shining on the morning they set out. Kagome watched as Inuyasha slipped into his bright red kimono. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.
"Sure I am," he said. "I've been in bed for almost a week now, just recovering. I've never had to heal that long in my life. If I'm not ready to go, then I should be."
He blinked a little in the sunlight as they stepped out on the road, and actually waved back to Kaede. The old woman looked completely worn out by the past few weeks, but she waved in response, then vanished back into her hut.
As if to prove he was feeling okay, Inuyasha walked far ahead of the rest of the group, with his hand resting on the Tetsusaiga.
He could at least say "thank you," after I almost had a breakdown, Kagome thought. Though Inuyasha might have recovered fully, she still felt tired and wilted. And her back was still stiff after those nights on the floor.
She paused beside Miroku. "Could you take my bike for awhile?" she asked. "I want to talk to Inuyasha."
Miroku nodded and slid onto the bike seat. She jogged ahead to where the half-demon was walking, and fell into step beside him. "Inuyasha, can we talk?" she asked.
"Sure. I'm not feeling sick, if that's what you're asking."
"I'm not feeling so great."
"It's that sorta stuff that makes me glad I'm not human," Inuyasha grumbled, scratching behind his ear.
"I don't know," Kagome said, smiling. "If you think about it, it was your 'weak' human side that let you make it through the Bloodfang at all. Without it, you would have died."
Inuyasha looked thoughtful, but didn't reply. He folded his hands into his sleeves. "Can we talk... alone?" he asked awkwardly.
"Sure. Where?"
As a response, he half-knelt and gestured at his back. When Kagome climbed on, he raced down the road and past the trees, leaving Shippo, Sango and Miroku far behind. Kagome closed her eyes against the wind, resting her cheek against Inuyasha's shoulder.
Finally he skidded to a stop and let her off. But when she tried to face him, he looked away. "Kagome... I wanted to know something. When I asked you to promise... you wouldn't forget me... didja say that just to make me feel better, when I thought I was dying?"
Kagome's eyes widened. "What?"
"I won't be mad if you say yes."
"How could you ask something like that?!" Kagome exploded. Tears rose in her eyes. "I was staying next to you night and day for almost a week, going crazy because I was afraid you were going to die right in front of me. And after all that, you think I care so little that I'd have to pretend? You thought I'd lie just because I wanted to make you feel better? Well, I didn't! I was scared for you and I meant every word I said! You IDIOT!"
She lunged at him, and threw her arms around his chest. Inuyasha looked down at her, stunned and confused by her outburst. Then he slowly raised his arms to hold her.
She sniffled into his shoulder, but didn't move. Inuyasha stroked her long hair, thinking of how she never moved away when he touched her. Ever since he had been a child, the sight of his clawed hands had frightened humans and demons. He could slash through almost anything with his fingers. When he was small, he had once been full of such anger about his half-demon-half-human heritage that he tried to slice off the tips of his claws. He had only succeeded in breaking a knife.
But Kagome didn't flinch when he touched her with those hands, like almost all humans did. She trusted him enough for it not to matter.
It was a strange feeling.
"Were you really frightened... for me?" he asked haltingly.
"Yersh," Kagome mumbled into his shoulder. Inuyasha was the worst hugger she had ever met, perhaps because of inexperience; he never knew what to do with his arms. But his hugs were so rare that they took her breath away.
He let his cheek rest on the top of her head. "I was too," he mumbled. "But one thing I was glad of... was that you were near me. It didn't hurt so much. And I knew if I was gonna die, I wanted you there."
Just hearing him say that made up for all the horrible days before. Kagome closed her eyes and listened to the strong heartbeat against her ear...
"What are you three gawkin' at?" Inuyasha's voice suddenly shouted, startling Kagome. He was glaring over her head. Down the road, Miroku and Sango were standing silently, watching them embrace, with Shippo and Kirara peeking out of the bike basket.
Kagome quickly disentangled herself. Inuyasha turned and quickly began walking again.
Kagome smiled a little as she followed him. Well, I don't mind the tough-guy act so much now, she thought. Now, after all, she had gotten another glimpse of what was lying deep under the prickly surface.
THE END
*
The sun was shining on the morning they set out. Kagome watched as Inuyasha slipped into his bright red kimono. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.
"Sure I am," he said. "I've been in bed for almost a week now, just recovering. I've never had to heal that long in my life. If I'm not ready to go, then I should be."
He blinked a little in the sunlight as they stepped out on the road, and actually waved back to Kaede. The old woman looked completely worn out by the past few weeks, but she waved in response, then vanished back into her hut.
As if to prove he was feeling okay, Inuyasha walked far ahead of the rest of the group, with his hand resting on the Tetsusaiga.
He could at least say "thank you," after I almost had a breakdown, Kagome thought. Though Inuyasha might have recovered fully, she still felt tired and wilted. And her back was still stiff after those nights on the floor.
She paused beside Miroku. "Could you take my bike for awhile?" she asked. "I want to talk to Inuyasha."
Miroku nodded and slid onto the bike seat. She jogged ahead to where the half-demon was walking, and fell into step beside him. "Inuyasha, can we talk?" she asked.
"Sure. I'm not feeling sick, if that's what you're asking."
"I'm not feeling so great."
"It's that sorta stuff that makes me glad I'm not human," Inuyasha grumbled, scratching behind his ear.
"I don't know," Kagome said, smiling. "If you think about it, it was your 'weak' human side that let you make it through the Bloodfang at all. Without it, you would have died."
Inuyasha looked thoughtful, but didn't reply. He folded his hands into his sleeves. "Can we talk... alone?" he asked awkwardly.
"Sure. Where?"
As a response, he half-knelt and gestured at his back. When Kagome climbed on, he raced down the road and past the trees, leaving Shippo, Sango and Miroku far behind. Kagome closed her eyes against the wind, resting her cheek against Inuyasha's shoulder.
Finally he skidded to a stop and let her off. But when she tried to face him, he looked away. "Kagome... I wanted to know something. When I asked you to promise... you wouldn't forget me... didja say that just to make me feel better, when I thought I was dying?"
Kagome's eyes widened. "What?"
"I won't be mad if you say yes."
"How could you ask something like that?!" Kagome exploded. Tears rose in her eyes. "I was staying next to you night and day for almost a week, going crazy because I was afraid you were going to die right in front of me. And after all that, you think I care so little that I'd have to pretend? You thought I'd lie just because I wanted to make you feel better? Well, I didn't! I was scared for you and I meant every word I said! You IDIOT!"
She lunged at him, and threw her arms around his chest. Inuyasha looked down at her, stunned and confused by her outburst. Then he slowly raised his arms to hold her.
She sniffled into his shoulder, but didn't move. Inuyasha stroked her long hair, thinking of how she never moved away when he touched her. Ever since he had been a child, the sight of his clawed hands had frightened humans and demons. He could slash through almost anything with his fingers. When he was small, he had once been full of such anger about his half-demon-half-human heritage that he tried to slice off the tips of his claws. He had only succeeded in breaking a knife.
But Kagome didn't flinch when he touched her with those hands, like almost all humans did. She trusted him enough for it not to matter.
It was a strange feeling.
"Were you really frightened... for me?" he asked haltingly.
"Yersh," Kagome mumbled into his shoulder. Inuyasha was the worst hugger she had ever met, perhaps because of inexperience; he never knew what to do with his arms. But his hugs were so rare that they took her breath away.
He let his cheek rest on the top of her head. "I was too," he mumbled. "But one thing I was glad of... was that you were near me. It didn't hurt so much. And I knew if I was gonna die, I wanted you there."
Just hearing him say that made up for all the horrible days before. Kagome closed her eyes and listened to the strong heartbeat against her ear...
"What are you three gawkin' at?" Inuyasha's voice suddenly shouted, startling Kagome. He was glaring over her head. Down the road, Miroku and Sango were standing silently, watching them embrace, with Shippo and Kirara peeking out of the bike basket.
Kagome quickly disentangled herself. Inuyasha turned and quickly began walking again.
Kagome smiled a little as she followed him. Well, I don't mind the tough-guy act so much now, she thought. Now, after all, she had gotten another glimpse of what was lying deep under the prickly surface.
THE END